TALK

I came to Yes through the side door. As a fan of bands like Genesis and Rush, I wanted something slightly more in keeping with my tastes as a young, budding audiophile. Rush and Genesis were bands I was hungry for in my formative years, but I always suspected there was something more. And I found them-that "more"-in Yes.

Bear in mind that I started with 90125 and BIG GENERATOR, both with mastermind Rabin overseeing most everything. I then moved simultaneously back and forth in time, to both the era of Howe and Wakeman (when almost everything they did was gold) and then into the 80's/90's, when Yes as a whole seemed start treading water as a band. Records like GOING FOR THE ONE, 90125, DRAMA and BIG GENERATOR hit the mark with regards to writing, arrangement and production. Plus, Yes always seemed to have that certain...something; something that twisted the ear, making the listener sit up and take note, as if to say, "Yes; we did that and made you aware. You have no choice but to keep listening." 90125 and BIG GENERATOR are really good, solid pieces of work, combining angular drumming, deep bass grooves, thunderous guitar workouts and heartfelt vocals, but one could sense that Rabin's Yes was "waiting" (pardon the foreshadowing) to make their ultimate statement, the one that would force the naysayers to sit up and be gagged. Folks, I do believe TALK is that statement.

Everything that made Yes such a hit in the seventies and eighties (the tight playing, the dexterous arrangements, the gorgeous melodies, the no-BS production) is sent kicking and screaming into 1994, when grunge (yak) ruled the charts and if you were caught sporting a 6/4 time signature (I'm looking at you, Dream Theater), you were dragged unceremoniously. So it might come as zero surprise to find that this record bears some hallmarks of the genre, such as a more stripped-down aesthetic, heavier guitars, throatier vocals (the vocal arrangements on "I AM WAITING" are particularly stunning) and a tendency to push the keyboards to the background, leaving Kaye's Hammond to ride the mix untrammeled.

But is the record any good? Let's look beyond the obvious pun, shall we? YES (I'm screaming); the record is really good. Let's discuss some individual songs. "The Calling" kicks things off with some effects-tweaked acoustic guitar that leads into Jon's patented multi-tracked wall-of-sound vocals. Things quickly become heated when the acoustic becomes electric and the other three decide to bum-rush the song. Listen to the combo of Kaye's hot Hammond, White's pummeling percussion, Rabin's swooping slide and Squire blistering bass and try not to salivate (I have napkins if you need them). The mid-song break is worth the price of admission alone. "I Am Waiting" is, in both feel and sound, a glorious power ballad that bands like Tesla or Cinderella would have killed for, but no band could have written it except Yes. The syncopation of drums, guitars, bass and keyboards is stunning and spot-on. Anderson is, as always here, at his heart-on-sleeve best, singing these quasi-mystical lyrics and boring his way into the soul for a spot of tea and a nap. And Rabin's lead break is...delicious (chef's kiss).

"Real Love" is straight-up thunder, from the shimmering intro to the hammering choruses; hooks abound and rarely stop coming. "State Of Play" is, after the first three tracks, somewhat silly froth, but it works as a rest stop, especially after how in-your-face the first few songs are. This track is-not gonna lie-a bit of a mess, mixing some really booming drums (poor Alan is doing his best here) and with Anderson's fast-moving mouth, yet Anderson seems to come off a bit strident here, so perhaps try to ignore him (difficult to do, I know, but easier to do when the track is this frothy) and focus on the quickly shifting arrangement instead.

While I would hardly consider this a masterpiece (nah, fam), this DOES get a lot of play on my phone. Why? It's not perfect, but it presents Yes in a time of consolidation; sadly, Rabin would pack up his six-string after this one, and while that's a bit of a gutpunch, if this was his farewell, then it was a hell of a high note to go out on. All told, this is fun.